Containers of relatively large size are commonly used for the bulk transportation and storage of materials such as, e.g., solvents, lubricants, inks, dyes, abrasives, adhesives, resin, insecticides, dry chemicals, powdered detergents, grains, frozen concentrate, meat, spices, sauces, and the like. These bulk containers must be capable of withstanding the weight of the contents as well as the rough handling to which they may be subjected. Further, they should be capable of being handled with mechanized equipment, and should be capable of being stacked on top of one another.
A bulk container commonly in use comprises a cylindrical drum made of solid fiber, plastic or metal. These drums typically are provided in sizes 35 to 55 gallons and have metal rings or bands at their top and bottom ends, with a lid or cover removably secured in place by a clamping band. The drums can be picked up and transported by mechanized equipment, including engaging the tines of a forklift under the rim provided by the band at the top of the drum. They also may be manually moved around on a supporting surface by tilting the drum and rolling the bottom edge of it along the supporting surface.
Depending upon the product stored in them, when full these cylindrical drums can weigh upwards of 500 pounds. Accordingly, manual handling of them can be difficult, especially when they are tilted and rolled along a supporting surface, since the metal band at the top does not provide much surface to grip and control the drum. Moreover, the circular configuration at the bottom end enables momentum or inertia to be built up when the drum is being rolled, making it difficult to control.
Further, due to their construction, cylindrical drums must be fully assembled and shipped to a user in their normal usable configuration. This requires substantial storage and shipping space for empty drums, adding to freight and warehousing costs. In addition, these types of drums are not easily recyclable.
Accordingly, there is a need for an affordable, functional bulk container for liquids and semi-liquid fluids that has the advantages of a cylindrical drum but that is free of the disadvantages.